Themes

• Moral ambiguity in a violent world

• The changing nature of evil

• Fate versus free will

• The decline of traditional values

• The impact of greed and materialism

• The futility of trying to control chaos

• The generational gap in understanding violence

Setting

No Country for Old Men takes place in 1980 near the Texas-Mexico border. This rugged, arid landscape serves as a fitting stage for Cormac McCarthy's gritty tale of violence and moral decay. The vast expanses of desert, small border towns, and remote highways create an atmosphere of isolation and lawlessness that permeates the story.

The novel's time frame places it squarely in the early years of the escalating drug war along the border between the United States and Mexico. This era saw a significant increase in narcotics trafficking and associated violence, transforming once-quiet communities into dangerous flashpoints. McCarthy vividly depicts this shifting reality, where traditional notions of order and justice are being eroded by new, ruthless forces.

While much of the action takes place in the Texas borderlands, the story also ventures into other locales. From seedy motels to dusty gas stations, from sun-baked highways to dimly lit urban streets, McCarthy paints a vivid picture of a harsh and unforgiving American Southwest. 

Characters

• Llewelyn Moss: A Vietnam War veteran and welder who stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong and takes $2.4 million in cash. His decision sets off a dangerous chain of events as he tries to evade those pursuing him. Moss is resourceful and determined, but finds himself in over his head as he tries to outsmart his relentless pursuer.

• Anton Chigurh: A psychopathic hitman hired to recover the stolen money. Chigurh is ruthless, methodical, and guided by a twisted sense of principle. He uses a captive bolt pistol as his signature weapon and often decides his victims' fates with a coin toss.

• Sheriff Ed Tom Bell: The aging sheriff of Terrell County, Texas, tasked with  investigating the drug deal and subsequent violence. A World War II veteran, Bell struggles with the increasing brutality he witnesses in his jurisdiction. He serves as the moral center of the story, often reflecting on the changing nature of crime and violence in society.

• Carla Jean Moss: Llewelyn's young wife, who becomes entangled in the dangerous situation. She is loyal to her husband but finds herself in grave danger as events unfold.

• Carson Wells: A former Special Forces officer hired to track down Moss and recover the money. Though confident in his abilities, Wells ultimately underestimates the threat posed by Chigurh.

• Ellis: Sheriff Bell's uncle and former deputy. He provides insight and perspective on law enforcement and the changing nature of crime in their region.

Quick facts

• Cormac McCarthy originally wrote No Country for Old Men as a screenplay, then decided to turn it into a novel.

• The title comes from the first line of the poem “Sailing to Byzantium" by W.B. Yeats.

• No Country for Old Men was McCarthy's first novel in seven years, following his 1998 work, Cities of the Plain.

• McCarthy wrote much of the novel while staying at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas as part of a writing residency.

• No Country for Old Men explores themes of fate, free will, moral ambiguity, and the changing nature of evil.

• As critics have noted, the novel’s prose style is notably simpler and more spare than McCarthy's earlier works.

• The story is set in 1980 along the Texas-Mexico border.

• Anton Chigurh's signature weapon, a captive bolt pistol, was inspired by McCarthy's research into slaughterhouse equipment.

• No Country for Old Men was adapted into a 2007 Oscar-winning film by Joel and Ethan Coen.

About the Author

Cormac McCarthy (1993-2023) was an acclaimed American novelist known for his distinctive writing style and exploration of dark themes. Though born in Rhode Island, McCarthy spent much of his life in the American South and Southwest, which heavily influenced the settings of his novels. He began his career with The Orchard Keeper in 1965, but didn't achieve widespread recognition until the 1990s with his Border Trilogy, starting with All the Pretty Horses.

McCarthy's sparse prose style, marked by minimal punctuation and a reluctance to use quotation marks for dialogue, became one of his trademarks. He often depicted graphic violence in his works, which led some critics to label him as nihilistic. However, others argued that his later novels, particularly The Road, showed a strong moral foundation. McCarthy's literary influences included William Faulkner and Herman Melville, though he expressed a preference for the company of scientists over other writers.

Throughout his career, McCarthy received numerous accolades, including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Road in 2007. His novel No Country for Old Men was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film by the Coen brothers. Despite his success, McCarthy was known for his reclusive nature, rarely granting interviews or making public appearances. He wrote all of his works on a simple Olivetti typewriter, which he used for decades before it was auctioned for charity in 2009.